Spray cap with integral spring

ABSTRACT

A top for a manual spray pump is provided with a cap or nozzle assembly having a spring molded integrally with the cap or nozzle assembly, thereby eliminating the separate manufacturing step of inserting a spring.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application60/835,605, filed Aug. 4, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to finger-operated spray pump caps and themanufacture of the same, and to a molding method useful for making suchcaps.

Finger-operated spray pumps are widely used. The contents being sprayedcan be pressurized or non-pressurized. Pressurized containers typicallyhave a release valve that is depressed into the container to release thecontents, and non-pressurized containers typically have a self-primingpump mechanism. In both cases, there is an assembly on top of thecontainer having a finger-actuated mechanism for releasing the contentsof the pressurized container or pumping the contents of anon-pressurized container. The assembly often includes a nozzle todirect the effluent contents, and the nozzle is chosen often to achievea desired atomized droplet size. Such devices find use in pumping orspraying everything from water, perfumes, and other liquids, tomedicaments and other solutions, emulsions, and suspensions, to cookingoils and other non-aqueous liquid media, to paint, hairspray, and otherviscous or pasty materials.

Especially in the area of cosmetics and perfumery packaging, a containeris provided pre-filled to an operation wherein the top assembly isattached. The top assembly is often a standard part supplied to theassembler that must be attached to a container designated by thecustomer. Because the top assembly is standard, it is typical practiceto provide the cap, which the user presses to release or pump thecontainer contents, and the nozzle assembly, as separate parts with aspring between the two, the combination of cap and nozzle assembly beingdisposed within a housing. The spring allows the nozzle assembly to sitat slightly different heights from a release valve or pump assemblyattached to the container, depending on the particular container.Because the container is designated by the customer, a standard topassembly may not always locate the spray nozzle optimally. The springbetween the nozzle assembly and the cap corrects for minor differencesbetween the cap and the nozzle assembly when mounted on the container.

One disadvantage to this arrangement is that a separate spring part mustbe inserted between the nozzle assembly and the cap. A separate springpart is needed, and the spring must be manually inserted into the capbottom, and then the nozzle assembly fit into the cap while retainingthe spring. Still further, the nozzle assembly must be secured to keepthis sub-assembly integral. Accordingly, there are manual labor stepswith small parts, and the sub-assembly must be engineered to be integralonce assembled, so if the spring is positioned incorrectly, thesub-assembly is defective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide aspring integral with the cap, thereby avoiding the separate assembly ofa spring between the cap and the nozzle assembly, and so reducing thenumber of parts and the assembly time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mold and method ofmolding providing for a spring to be integrally molded into the cap.

In summary, this invention provides a pump spray cap having a springmolded unitary with the cap. This invention also provides a pump spraydevice including a container have a dispensable liquid, a nozzleassembly, and a pump spray cap having a spring molded therewith.

This invention also provides a molding and a method of molding anarticle having a surface from which a cantilever is molded integral witha surface of the article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top assembly.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along line 2-2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the top assembly including an outerhousing 101 having an open top through which is accessed the cap 103. Anozzle 105 projects though an opening 107 of the inner housing andthrough an opening 109 of the outer housing. The top flange 111 of theouter housing includes a concavity 113 allowing easy user access to adepression 115 in the top surface of the cap.

As seen in FIG. 2, the outer housing (shown in phantom) contains aninner housing 201 having an outer wall 203 defining a bottom chamber 205for accepting the top of a container with a dispensable liquid (notshown). The container top typically has a stem duct that is functionallyconnected to a self-priming pump for a non-pressurized container or arelease valve for a pressurized container. Inwardly projecting from theouter wall is a inner wall 207 having a geometry to match the top of thecontainer, which is typically round (e.g., cylindrical). The inner wallacts as a support for the cap. The cap is sized appropriately to size onthe inner wall in close tolerance with the outer wall so as maintain thefunctional orientation shown.

Disposed within the cap is a nozzle housing 209 including a nozzle (notshown in FIG. 2) that protrudes through an orifice 211 in the nozzlehousing and through the aforementioned openings in the inner and outerhousings. The nozzle housing includes a column 213 with a column opening215 for accepting and retaining the conduit or stem of the containereffective to provide fluid communication between the stem and thenozzle. Typically the tolerance between the stem and the column openingprovides a friction fit. The cap thus overlies the nozzle housing,allowing a user to press on the cap, and thereby also the nozzlehousing, thereby opening the release valve for a pressurized containeror a pump cycle to expel the liquid for a non-pressurized container.

Molded into the cap are two leaf springs 217 a and 217 b allowing thenozzle housing to “float” axially within the cap (“axial” being in thedirection towards and away from the container along the stem); becausethere is no fixed connection between the cap and the nozzle housing, thenozzle housing can also move transversely if needed to accommodate theplacement of the stem of the container. Alternatively, the leaf springcan be molded into the top of the nozzle housing. Molding the leafsprings into both the cap and the nozzle housing is possible, but willbe likely to cause interference during assembly.

The inner housing, cap, and nozzle housing are preferably made ofplastic (polymer or resin), and may be the same or different types ofplastic. The outer housing is preferably also made of plastic, but canbe made of metal, wood, ceramic, or any decorative material.

The inner and outer housings can be provided with means to connect toeach other, such as a coupling, friction fit, force fit, or adhesive,and either separately or as a connected unitary structure are connectedto the container or to the packaging (housing) for the container. It ispreferred that the top be assembled as a unit which can then be attachedto the container directly. Thus, it is possible to ship from oneassembler complete top units that the can taken by another assemblycompany and placed onto the containers.

1. A top assembly for a container having a pumpable or sprayable liquidreleased through a conduit by pressure or a pump actuated by pressing onsaid conduit, comprising: a nozzle housing containing a nozzle and meansfor engaging the conduit effective to provide fluid communicationbetween the conduit and the nozzle; and a cap accessible to a user ofthe container and overlying the nozzle housing, the cap being injectionmolded and molded integrally therewith at least one spring engaging thenozzle housing biasing the nozzle housing away from the cap.
 2. The topassembly of claim 1, wherein the spring is a leaf spring and the cap ismolded with two leaf springs.
 3. A top assembly for a container having apumpable or sprayable liquid released through a conduit by pressure or apump actuated by pressing on said conduit, comprising: a nozzle housingcontaining a nozzle and means for engaging the conduit effective toprovide fluid communication between the conduit and the nozzle; and acap accessible to a user of the container and overlying the nozzlehousing, the nozzle housing being injection molded and molded integrallytherewith at least one spring engaging the cap and biasing the nozzlehousing away from the cap.
 4. The top assembly of claim 3, wherein thespring is a leaf spring and the nozzle assembly is molded with two leafsprings.